ANDY & BEN – FOUNDERS OF DOCK & BAY
Dock & Bay was formed by two fun-loving guys with a passion for travel, who worked together for nearly three years in the UK banking industry. Andy, 27 and Ben, 32, a Brit and an Aussie, always stood out at work as two people that liked doing things differently and never took themselves (or their jobs) too seriously. They both spent their days outside of work, travelling the world and scoping out their next adventure. Their love of experiencing new things always played on their mind, as they felt there was more to life than your standard 9-5 desk job, leading to them starting a company that would quickly change their lives.
TOWELS REINVENTED – WHERE IT BEGAN
Whilst working together for a UK bank back in 2015, Andy and Ben constantly bounced ideas back and forth as to how they could build their own business and break away from the corporate bubble.
One day, whilst having a few drinks at Ben’s home in London, they pulled down a curtain in his room and started to design their first towel. They wanted to brighten up the travel towel market, creating a high-end, yet affordable product for people to take with them on their adventures.
Andy and Ben enjoy a simply ethos, which is why they came up with their bright and colorful cabana striped designs, which they believe is a timeless classic dedicated to their love of the beach.
The name, Dock & Bay was inspired by those moments of perfect bliss you have in life where you sit far away from anywhere, in perfect tranquility and just slowly take in all the amazingness that life has to offer.
Having started less than years ago and having sold over 100,000 units of their current product ranges across the world, in nine different markets, the two young entrepreneurs are now out to build a global beach & lifestyle brand and are keen to build on their success by helping the community in the future and ‘doing their bit’ for the world.
THE PRODUCT
Dock & Bay stands apart from other ‘entrepretowelneurs’ by the unique microfiber material that they use for their towels, as it is perfect for anyone travelling that is short on packing space. They have spent a lot of time creating the right mix of material to ensure it is soft to touch yet remains quick drying, lightweight and super absorbent. At 79” in length, they have the biggest towel out there, yet they fold into a size not much bigger than your standard book.
Their towels come in a simple, yet eye catching design with a stylish pouch, which they have worked hard on so that the product looks high end but is also very functional and affordable. Customers range from beach lovers to backpackers to swimmers to families to surfers to yoga lovers and everything in between.
Dock & Bay are keen to mix-up the beaches, parks and festivals of the world for the better too with their new unexpectedly shaped ‘round’ towel. And this isn’t just any round towel – it is the largest on the market, measuring 75” in diameter.
WHAT’S NEXT – 2017 & BEYOND
Having grown the business predominantly online, making use of all the great tools out there to run a business from anywhere they choose, they are expanding in 2017, attending numerous retail trade fairs in UK and USA in January and February to really start to increase their exposure on the ground.
Now, entering the next phase of their project, Dock & Bay have plans to continue their quick market growth around the world. They will be bringing in new designs to their current towel ranges, as well as a kids range, as well as a new set of towels targeted more at the athleisure market, a huge trend currently. To fuel their rapid growth, the search will begin for investment opportunities, as they hope to partner with someone with a strong experience and contact base in their space. 2017 will be a big year for the duo and the brand, as they would love to move into the swimwear market so watch this space.
